Synopsis: The science department of a university are called by a
priest (Pleasence) to research onsite
a mysterious, giant container kept hidden within an abandoned church. Even though
the scientists are sceptical, when its revealed the contents are a millennia
old and pure evil, they find themselves trapped in the church and an entity
from the container possessing them one-by-one. Eventually they must accept the
being trapped within the artefact is a literal demonic being.

With "Martin
Quatermass" as the pseudonym used for the screenplay, I've ended up with a
Nigel Kneale theme amongst others in
this Halloween season. John Carpenter
has been as much inspired by Keanle
as he has been by classic Hollywood cinema, and Prince of Darkness is an interpretation of the science
fiction/horror crossbreeding found in the likes of the Quatermass stories. Reinterpreting a mythological figure of the
Devil and Christian dogma, the film is still firmly in the supernatural but
there is a tip of the hat to such influences in that the truth is of a cosmic
nature, that outside human comprehension baring a secret group of monks who
kept it a secret for centuries until the last one dies and Pleasence's priest uncovers it. The film feels like a continuation
of The Thing (1982), where a group
is trapped within an environment while an unknown entity takes over the party
slowly, an unknown substance in a vast container entering victims alive or dead
and possessing them. The film is also in the middle of an
"apocalypse" trilogy of the director's which In The Mouth of Madness (1995) closes, the grimness of the material
here as prevalent as it was in The Thing.

From http://zombiehamster.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/pod1.jpg

The film is relatively minor from
Carpenter, but knowing that this is
from comparing the film to the likes of Halloween (1978), that's an unfair act
in itself when when Prince of Darkness
has developed a greater appreciation over the years from horror fans and
deserves it. It's only been with The
Ward (2010), in fact, where I've sat through a middling John Carpenter film. Even films like Vampires (1998) and Ghosts of Mars (2001) aren't as bad as
their reputations suggests, with virtues of the best of his films still within them,
especially his sharp dialogue and ability to create tension. Such films were
merely compromised, and like most cult directors - from Tobe
Hooper to Dario Argento - I'd
argue Carpenter has been dealt
unfairly like them by the changing genre industry over the decades, unlike a Steven Spielberg able to keep their
trademarks when the budgets become smaller and the options are chosen for them.
Here he is certainly making a Carpenter
film in presentation, his own score co-written with Alan Howarth over the scenes of isolated church corridors and the
oppressive outlook of his other movies written all over it. With Alice Cooper leading zombie-like
homeless people outside, preventing the individuals inside from being able to
leave and ripping any apart who try it, the result is a claustrophobic, small
scale film where people are trapped within rooms and corridors as the anti-God
is to be reborn, their own turned. Those who are turned can also suffer the
fate of being aware of their gradual transformation, even suicide not
preventing them from becoming a cackling, hulking undead figure who stares
glazed over into a mirror for hours. With the added religious content, such as Pleasance's priest becoming disillusioned
by the secrets he discovers through the container's existence, it has a mood
that stands out. The odd subplot of a subliminal dream that everyone has when
they fall asleep is also compelling, a concept straight out of a Nigel Kneale story with a strange
shot-on-video effect to depict it, the fact that its never explained fully
adding to its importance in being the film. Plus there's plenty of gross
content, from dripping salvia to one of the most freakish moments in one of Carpenter's films where someone dissolves
into a mass of beetles. The only real flaw is the ending, an abruptly finished conclusion
with a cheap twist finale, but that doesn't stop the rest of the movie
beforehand from being immensely engaging.

From http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7j1xVrD9HZk/UhVXYQwchHI/
AAAAAAAAF8E/TA9CRPgGVDw/s1600/ScreenShot1032.png

Also the film stands out because
of its script, having to juggle so many characters at first, making sure everyone
stands out and has enough to attach to them in terms of personalities. The most
memorable character is in fact the male prick character Walter, actor Dennis Dun along with the script
managing to make him such a charismatic figure despite his obnoxious attitude. That
the character becomes under threat , and you worry for his life, partially
trapped in a closet witnessing the actual plan of the container's contents, is
a testament to how well Walter is drawn. That Dun previously played the actual hero of Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and can also play this character
is a testament to his acting as well. The prominent Asian cast in the film, including
Victor Wong, and the fact the
nationalities of the characters are never brought up is also something to admire
when it feels as if teeth have to be pulled out just to have a horror films
that has a multi-ethnic cast and doesn't make it tokenism.

From http://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/
wp-content/uploads/2004/03/prince.jpg

Technical Detail:

The score co-written by Carpenter is of immense importance for
the film to work, like the scores for Assault
On Prescient 13 (1976) and Halloween as much part of the mood of the
content, a mix of electronic music with religious chorus that brings out a heavenly
dread to the material. The cinematography contributes immensely to the film as
well.

Abstract Spectrum: Fantastique/Psychotronic

Abstract Rating (High/Medium/Low/None): None

Nothing abstract to comment on.

Personal Opinion:

A delight to have seen this
finally, very much necessary after my personal disappointment with The Ward to show Carpetner's talents.

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"I could go on for hours with more examples. The list is endless. You probably never gave it a thought, but all great films, without exception, contain an important element of no reason. And you know why? Because life itself is filled with no reason." - Rubber (2010)

About Me

I am 28 years old and hail from England. For the last few years I have been a growing fan of cinema and have decided to take the next step into blogging about it and any other tangents that about the things I'm interested in I get onto.